Cautionary Tales For Children
Wonderful witty poems great for reading to your children. The stories and rhymes will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Research has shown how important YOU are to your children and how as a dad the things you do, and keep on doing, really count, whether you live with them, or you are a single dad and are only able see them once a month, once a week or more, what you do really matters. This site is dedicated to all dads but will be of special relevance to the single dad. Remember, you are half the reason your children exist and they need you whether you live with them or not. As their dad, you have what it takes to make their lives successful and fulfilling no matter how often you see them. This site is about all the positive things that we as parents have to offer our children.

Happy 100th Birthday, Father's Day

By Chris Barnardo

I grew up with the impression that Father’s Day was a fake “Hallmark Holiday” set up as a cynical marketing ploy to sell more greetings cards in the middle of the year when retail business was generally quiet, following the roaring commercial success of Mother’s Day. My father always said he didn’t believe in it, although he did gratefully receive his cards each year. . . .
To this day, I have a sneaky feeling that something is not quite right about the day, and that my father had a point. The marketing potential of holidays like this is enormous, although, counter intuitively, the greetings card manufacturers are not the biggest winners. Of the nearly $8bn spent each Mother’s Day in the United States, on flowers, gifts and eating out, less than 1% is spent on cards to mark the occasion.. . .
While Mothering Sunday can trace its roots back to ancient pagan mother worship, or at the very least to the 16th Christian custom of returning to your mother church once a year, Father’s Day is indeed a recent invention. It is completely wrong however, to believe that it was established for commercial reasons. The first Father’s Day, celebrated 100 years ago this year, was in fact held to mark the memory of over 350 men who had been killed in a mining accident the previous year. The day quickly became properly established due mostly to the efforts of Sonora Smart, in her campaign celebrate and recognise the sacrifices, love and devotion of her father, William Jackson Smart, who had single-handedly reared her and her five brothers and sisters, following the death of her mother. . . .
Walking down the high street these last few weeks, it is hard to believe that this day has such noble providence. The shops are littered with the sort of loosely dad-related tat that in any other normal week, no one in their right mind would be seen dead buying. In the shops, people gripped by a feverish got-to-get-something desperation, are actually buying Homer Simpsons mugs with the slogan “Trying Is The First Step Towards Failure” fired onto them as presents for their fathers. I want to tell my dad how much I appreciate him, how much he influenced me, how important his casual comments of encouragement over the years were to me, and how much, who he is has made me what I am, and I don’t think I can say all these things with a mass produced “personalised” plastic model of a bear sitting on a toilet (Bear in Quiet Office Unique Gift for Him, Personalized Free).. . .
I half heartedly look in the shops, but I don’t see anything I think my dad will genuinely like and finally I come round to thinking that I don’t really need to send him a gift anyway. During the year I have made time to see him, I have done things with him that we have enjoyed together, and I have been thoughtful enough to tell him that I love him and appreciate him for who he is and what he has done for me, when the thought has occurred to me, so then maybe a card to mark the day will be enough. It’s then that I resolve my misgivings about Father’s Day, and decide that presents and cards sent on this day are only a sham if they are given in a bit of a guilt trip to make up for all the times that we should have spent together with our dads, but didn't. Instead I'll be sending may card to my dad to tell him that I remember and a celebrate all things that we did do together. Of course, I know that just like every other year, despite both our longstanding misgivings about the legitimacy of the day, secretly he will have been waiting for his card, and as always, will gratefully receive it, and I will enjoy sending it.

WEEK 13, 2009How to stop arguing: Part 2How do you stop an argument if you are already in one, here are our top ten tried and tested ways of halting an argument in its tracks

WEEK 12, 2009How to stop arguing: Part 1Ten reasons actually why people argue (and that's not including what they argue over) to help you avoid the argument traps and habits

WEEK 11, 2009Getting ready for a new arrivalWhen you become a dad for the first time your life changes dramatically,so here are ten top tips on how you can prepare practically for the new arrival

WEEK 10, 2009Don't say goodbye...Ten top tips for dealing with all the goodbyes a single dad has to say and keep on saying.

WEEK 9, 2009Can I do that again?Think twice before you dismiss your kid's quirkiest comments, because children approach life with such an open mind, that there is often a great deal of sense in even the strangest things they say.

WEEK 8, 2009Food of the godsChocolate isn't all bad, in fact it's mostly good, see our top ten reasons why chocolate is good for you

WEEK 7, 2009The last thing I remembered was...Everyone has their own way of recognising the importance of the moment, but here are my top ten tips, conveniently sorted in to Mind, Body and Soul.

WEEK 6, 2009Caring for a sick childCaring for a sick child is never easy, but if you are divorced or separated then you might find these top ten tips helpful

WEEK 51, 2008Christmas without your kidsEvery parent's nightmare and many single dads' reality, is a Christmas Day without your kids. Here are ten top tips on how to have a great Christmas even if you aren't able to see your kids on the day itself.

WEEK 41, 2008Ten great first datesWhere you choose to go on your first date says a lot about you as a person and how you think, so make the most of it with these top ten tips for a great first date venue

WEEK 39, 2008How to encourage your kids to read moreSo, everyone knows how good reading is for their children, but how do you encourage them to read, or read more. Here are ten top tips to get you started and get your children reading books.

WEEK 37, 2008Ten ways to be positiveTen practical ways to be positive when it's tough, from the queen of positive thinking, Dawn Stannard

WEEK 36, 200810 ways to grow your kids' creativityDeveloping your children's creativity is your job and a very important part of their upbringing, here are ten ways you can help them develop their creativity

WEEK 35, 2008Relativity: When dark days feel like monthsWhen you are experiencing the trauma of a serious relationship break up, ironically Time seems to slow down, dragging out the pain and making things much worse.

WEEK 32, 2008Burning BuildingInternet dating is like being in a burning building looking for someone to help get you out, but the only people who can help you are trapped in the same building with you

WEEK 31, 2008How far have we come?Humans have been evolving for 1 million years and it's been 10,000 years since Cro-Magnon man developed the family unit, how far have we really come?

WEEK 30, 2008Who put that cup there?!What is it that is so seductive about blame? No one is immune to its satisfying qualities and its effects ripple through society at every level. Our kids are an easy target...

WEEK 29, 2008Winners and Losers? A thoroughly modern school sports day, that's more about taking part than about making one winner and loads of losers out of us

WEEK 28, 2008Living apart togetherSociety is changing, and more and more people have two places they call home, so why is Shared Residence still such an issue?